In this dissertation we study classical and quantum spin systems with applications to the theory of computation. In particular, we examine computational aspects of these systems beyond their ground states by considering ...

Tremendously useful insights for the design and development of nano-scale systems, e.g. photovoltaics devices, can be gained from studying molecular process and reactions using \textit{ab initio} electronic dynamics, i.e. ...

This dissertation describes the development of a scientic apparatus for trapping ultracold quantum gases of atomic lithium and ytterbium, and discusses the studies of interactions between such particles under a range of ...

Entanglement between a single trapped <super>138</super>Ba<super>+</super> and a single spontaneously emitted photon is demonstrated. The system is used to measure a CHSH Bell signal of 2.303(36), verifying the violation ...

Mixed species chains of barium and ytterbium ions are investigated as a tool for building scalable quantum computation devices. Ytterbium ions provide a stable, environmentally-insensitive qubit that is easily initialized ...

The physical properties of semiconductor defects are highly relevant for future quantum technologies and current semiconductor device performance. Optical spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating a wide variety ...

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center is a point defect in the diamond crystal lattice, forming a localized-electron system with unique optical and spin properties. In particular, optical control and read-out of the spin state, ...

While experimental developments have enabled the study of core-hole dynamics in X-ray spectroscopy, theoretical methods for dynamical effects are still underdeveloped. Additionally, traditional theoretical methods are in ...